CURRICULUM VITAE
LAURA L. CARSTENSEN
Address:
Department of Psychology
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305
Current Position: Professor of Psychology
Educational Background:
B.S. 1978 University of Rochester
M.A. 1980 West Virginia University
Ph.D. 1983 West Virginia University
Publications:
Carstensen L.L. and Hartel, C.R. (Eds). (under review). When I'm 64. Committee on Aging Frontiers
in Social Psychology, Personality, and Adult Developmental Psychology. Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and
Sensory Sciences, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National
Research Council/The National Academies Press.
Mather , M. & Carstensen, L.L. (in press). Aging and motivated cognition: The positivity effect in
attention and memory. Trends in Cognitive Science.
Carstensen, L.L., Mikels, J.A. & Mather, M. (in press). Aging and the intersection of cognition,
motivation and emotion. To appear in J. Birren & K.W. Schaie (Eds) Handbook of the Psychology of Aging,
San Diego: Academic Press. Sixth Edition.
Carstensen, L.L. & Mikels, J.A. (2005). At the intersection of emotion and cognition: Aging and the
positivity effect. 14, 117-121. Current Directions in Psychological Science.
Fung, H.L., Rice, C. & Carstensen, L.L. (2005). Reactive and proactive motivational changes across
adulthood. In W. Greve, K. Rothermund & D. Wentura (Eds). The adaptive self: Personal Continuity and
Intentional Self-Development. New York: Hogrefe/Huber Publisher.
Ersner-Hershfield, H., Rice, C., Lindberg, C. & Carstensen, L. (2005). The good, the bad and the poignant.
Aging Today, XXVI, 7-8.
Löckenhoff, C.E. & Carstensen, L.L. (2004). Socioemotional selectivity theory, aging, and health: The
increasingly delicate balance between regulating emotions and making tough choices. Journal of Personality.72
1395-1424.
Fung, H.L. & Carstensen, L.L. (2004). Motivational changes in response to blocked goals and foreshortened
time: Testing alternative explanations of socioemotional selectivity theory. Psychology and Aging, 19, 68-78.
Carstensen, L.L. & Löckenhoff, C.E. (2004). Aging, Emotion and Evolution: The Bigger Picture. To
appear in P. Ekman, J.J. Campos, R.J. Davidson, & F.B.M. de Waal (Eds.) Emotions Inside Out: 130 Years
after Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Vol. 1000 of the Annals of the New York
Academy of Sciences (Electronic version available at Annals Online www.annalsnysa.org).
Mather, M., Canli, T., English, T., Whitfield, S., Wais, P., Ochsner, K., Gabrieli, J. & Carstensen, L.
(2004). Amygdala responses to emotionally valenced stimuli in older and younger adults. Psychological
Science, 15, 259-263.
Kennedy, Q., Mather, M. & Carstensen, L.L. (2004). The role of motivation in the age-related positive memory
bias in autobiographical memory. Psychological Science, 15, 208-214.
Charles, S.T. & Carstensen, L.L. (2004). A life-span view of emotional functioning in adulthood and ol
age. (pp. 133-162). In Advances in Cell Aging and GerontologySeries, Vol 15, P.T. Costa & I.C. Siegler (Eds.)
Recent Advances in Psychology and Aging. Amsterdam: Elsevier, Ltd.
Pasupathi, M. & Carstensen, L.L. (2003). Age and emotional experience during mutual reminiscing.
Psychology and Aging., 18, 430-442.
Isaacowitz, D., Smith, T.B., & Carstensen, L.L. (2003). Socioemotional selectivity and mental health
among trauma survivors in old age. Ageing International, 28, 181-199.
Carstensen, L.L., Fung, H.L. & Charles, S.T. (2003). Socioemotional selectivity theory and emotion
regulation in the second half of life. Motivation and Emotion., 27, 103-123.
Mather, M. & Carstensen, L.L. (2003). Aging and attentional biases for emotional faces. Psychological
Science.14, 409-415.
Fung, H.L. & Carstensen, L.L. (2003). Sending memorable messages to the old: Age differences in preferences
and memory for advertisements. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 163-178.
Charles, S.T., Mather, M.M. & Carstensen, L.L. (2003) Aging and emotional memory: The forgettable nature o
negative images for older adults. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 132, 310-324.
Carstensen, L.L., Charles, S.T., Isaacowitz, D. & Kennedy, Q. (2003). Life-span personality
development and emotion. (pp. 726-746). In R.J. Davidson, K. Scherer & H.H. Goldsmith (Eds.), Handbook of
Affective Sciences. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pasupathi, M., Henry, R. & Carstensen, L.L. (2002). Age and ethnicity differences in storytelling to
young children: Emotionality, relationality and socialization. Psychology and Aging. 17, 610-621.
Löckenhoff, C.E. & Carstensen, L.L. (2002). Is the life-span theory of control a theory of development
or a theory of coping? To appear in S. Zarit, L. Pearlin, K.W. Schaie (Eds.) Personal control in social and
lifecontexts. New York: Springer Publishing.
Carstensen, L.L. & Charles, S.T. (2002). Human Aging: Why is even good news taken as bad? L.
Aspinwall & U. Staudinger (Eds.), A psychology of human strengths: Perspectives on an emerging field.
Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Fung, H.H. & Carstensen, L.L. (2002, March-April). The knowledge of our years: Time so limited, life so
precious. Aging Today, 23(2), 9, 11.Rice, C. J., Löckenhoff, C.E. & Carstensen, L.L. (2002). Chasing
independence and productivity: How Western cultures influence individual and scientific accounts of aging.
Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología(Latin American Journal of Psychology), 34, 133-154.
Lang, F. R. & Carstensen, L.L. (2002). Time counts: Future time perspective, goals and social relationship
Psychology and Aging. 17, 125-139.
Charles, S. T. & Carstensen, L.L. (2002). Marriage in old age. (pp. 236-254). In M. Yalom & L.L.
Carstensen, L.L. (Eds.), Inside the American Couple: New Insights, New Challenges. Berkeley, CA: University
of California Press. (Reprinted in U.S. Japan Women's Journal, (2000). 27, 3-18.)
Yalom, M. & Carstensen, L.L. (Eds.). (2002). Inside the American Couple, Berkeley, CA: University of
California Press.
Carstensen, L.L. (2001). Adult personality development. (pp.11290-11295). In N. J. Smelzer & P.B. Balte
(Eds.), International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. 16, Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Ltd.
Carstensen, L.L. (2001). Emotion and aging. (327-329). In G. Maddox (Ed.) Encyclopedia of Aging. (3rd
ed.). New York: Springer Publishing Co.
Charles, S.T., Carstensen, L.L. & McFall, R.M. (2001). Problem solving in the nursing home environmen
Age and experience differences in emotional reactions and responses. Journal of Clinical Geropsychology. , 7,
319-330.
Carstensen, L.L. (2001). Margret M. Baltes: Dependency and success in aging. Contemporary
Gerontology, 8, 2-5.
Kennedy, Q., Fung, H. & Carstensen, L.L. (2001). Aging, time estimation and emotion: An
multidisciplinary exploration.. (pp. 51-74) In S.H. McFadden & R.C. Atchley (Eds.), Aging and the meaning o
time. New York: Springer.
Fung, H.H., Carstensen, L.L. & Lang, F.(2001). Age-related patterns in social networks among EuropeanAmericans and African-Americans: Implications for socioemotional selectivity across the life span.
International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 52, 185-206.
Fisher, J.E., Zeiss, A.M., & Carstensen, L.L. (2001). Psychopathology in the aged. (921-951). In P.B.
Sutker & H.E. Adams (Eds). Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology. (3rd Ed) Kluwer
Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Tsai, J.L., Levenson, R.W. & Carstensen, L.L. (2000). Autonomic, expressive and subjective responses to
emotional films in younger and older adults of European American and Chinese descent. Psychology and
Aging. 15, 684-693.
Carstensen, L.L., Pasupathi, M., Mayr, U. & Nesselroade, J. (2000). Emotional experience in everyday lif
across the adult life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 79, 644-655.
Carstensen, L.L. (2000). Social gerontological theories. In A. Kazdin (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology.
Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Stern, P. & Carstensen, L.L. (Eds.). (2000). The aging mind: Opportunities in cognitive aging.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Carstensen, L.L., Charles, S. & Isaacowitz, D. (2000). Applying science to human behavior. American
Psychologist, 5, 343.
Carstensen, L.L. (2000). Keeping aging minds sharp. The Scientist, 14, 6.
Carstensen, L.L., Graff, J. & Lang, F. (2000). Psychology’s contributions to gerontology (pp.29-48). In J.
E. Clair (Ed.),The Gerontological Prism:Developing Interdisciplinary Bridges. Amityville, NY: Baywood
Publishing.
Isaacowitz, D., Charles, S. & Carstensen, L.L. (2000). Emotion and cognition.(pp. 593-631). In G. Craik &
T. Salthouse (Eds.) Handbook of aging and cognition (2nd Edition). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Publishers.
Fung, H.H., Carstensen, L.L. & Lutz, A. (1999). The influence of time on social preferences: Implications
for life-span development. Psychology and Aging, 14, 595-604.
Fung, H.H., Abeles, R.P. & Carstensen, L.L. (1999). Psychological control in later life: Implications for
life-span development.(pp. 345-372). M. Lerner & J. Brandtstädter (Eds.), Action and development: Origins an
functions of intentional self development. Hillsdale, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Carstensen, L.L., Isaacowitz, D. & Charles, S.T. ( 1999). Taking time seriously: A theory of
socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist, 54, 165?]181.
Charles, S.T. & Carstensen, L.L. (1999). The role of time in the setting of social goals across the life span
(pp. 319-342). In F. Blanchard-Fields & T. Hess (Eds.), Social cognition and aging. New York: Academic
Press.
Carstensen, L.L. & Charles, S.T. (1999). Emotion in the second half of life. Current Directions in
Psychological Science. 7, 144-149. (Reprinted in Annual Editions: Human Development, 2000/2001, Sluice
Dock: CT: Dushkin/McGraw Hill, 213-217; Reprinted in Current Directions Readers, 2004).
Pasupathi, M., Carstensen, L.L., Levenson, R.W., & Gottman, J.M. (1999). Responsive listening in longmarried couples: A psycholinguistic perspective. Journal of Non-Verbal Behavior, 23, 173-193.
Baltes, M.M. & Carstensen, L.L. (1999). Social psychological theories and their applications to aging:
From individual to collective (pp. 209-226). In V. Bengtson, & K.W. Schaie (Eds.) Handbook of theories of
aging. New York: Springer.
Carstensen, L.L., & Fredrickson, B.L. (1998). The influence of HIV-status and age on cognitive
representations of others. Health Psychology, 17, 494-503.
Pasupathi, M, Carstensen, L.L., Turk-Charles, S. & Tsai, J. (1998). Emotion and aging. In H. Friedman
(Ed.), Encyclopedia of mental health. Vol. 2 (pp. 91-101). San Diego: Academic Press.
Lang, F.& Carstensen, L.L. (1998). Social relationships and adaptation in late life. In B.A. Edelstein (Ed.)
Comprehensive Clinical Psychology. Vol. 7: Clinical Geropsychology. (pp. 55-72). Oxford: Elsevier Science.
Carstensen, L.L. (1998). A life-span approach to social motivation. In J.Heckhausen & C. Dweck (Eds.),
Motivation and self-regulation across the life span. (pp. 341-364). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Lang, F., Staudinger, U. & Carstensen, L.L. (1998).Socioemotional selectivity in late life: How personalit
and social context do (and do not) make a difference. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. 53, 2130.
Gross, J., Carstensen, L.L., Pasupathi, M. Tsai, J. & Götestam Skorpen, C. & Hsu, A. (1997). Emotion an
aging: Experience, expression and control. Psychology and Aging, 12, 590-599.
Carstensen, L.L., Gross, J. & Fung, H. (1997). The social context of emotion. In M.P. Lawton, K. W.
Schaie (Eds). Annual Review of Geriatrics and Gerontology (pp. 325- 352). New York: Springer.
Carstensen, L.L. & Lang, F. (1997). Social support in context and as context: Comments on social suppor
and the maintenance of competence in old age. In S. Willis and K.W. Schaie (Eds.), Societal mechanisms for
maintaining competence in old age (pp. 207- 222). New York: Springer Publishing.
Baltes, M.M. & Carstensen, L.L. (1996). Gutes Leben im Alter. Überlegungen zu einem prozeßorientierte
Metamodel gelingenden, erfolgreichen Alters. Psychologische Rundschau, 47, 199-215.
Carstensen, L.L. (1996). The second half of life: Studying the strengths of older Americans. (Invited
editorial). The Chronicle of Higher Education. XLIII, No. 6, B3-4.
Baltes, M.M. & Carstensen, L.L. (1996). The process of successful ageing. Ageing and Society. 16, 397422. (Reprinted in E.W. Markson & L.A. Hollis-Sawyer (Eds.), Intersections of aging: Readings in Social
Gerontology, pp. 65-81. Los Angeles: Roxbury Publishing Co. Revision reprinted in U. Staudinger & U.
Lindenberger (2002). Understanding Human Development: Dialogues with Life-span Psychology, pp. 81-104;
Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers).
Baltes, M., Horgas, A., Klingenspor, B., Freund, A. & Carstensen, L.L. (1996). Geschlechtsunterschiede
der Berliner Altersstudie. (pp. 573-598). In K.U. Mayer & P.B. Baltes(Eds.), Der Berliner Altersstudie [The
Berlin Aging Study], Berlin: Akademie-Verlag
Carstensen, L. L., Edelstein, B.A. & Dornbrand, L. (Eds.). (1996). The practical handbook of clinical
gerontology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Tsai, J. L. & Carstensen, L.L. (1996).The role of ethnicity in clinical work with the elderly (pp. 76-106). I
L.L. Carstensen, B.A. Edelstein, & L. Dornbrand (Eds.), The practical handbook of clinical gerontology.
Hillsdale, CA: Sage Publications.
Carstensen, L.L., Graff, J., Levenson, R.W. & Gottman, J.M. (1996). Affect in intimate relationships: The
developmental course of marriage. In C. Magai & S. McFadden (Eds.), Handbook of emotion, adult
development and aging (pp. 227-247). Orlando: Academic Press.
Carstensen, L.L. (1996). Interactive minds from a developmental perspective. In P.B.Baltes & U.
Staudinger (Eds.), Interactive minds: Life-span perspectives on the social foundation of cognition. (pp. 420424). NewYork: Cambridge University Press.
Carstensen, L.L. (1996). Socioemotional selectivity: A life-span developmental account of social behavio
In M.R. Merrens & G.G. Brannigan (Eds.), The developmental psychologists: Research across the life span (pp
250-271). New York: McGraw Hill.
Carstensen, L.L. (1995). Evidence for a life-span theory of socioemotional selectivity. Current Directions
in Psychological Science, 4 151-156.
Carstensen, L.L., Gottman, J.M., & Levenson, R.W. (1995). Emotional behavior in long-term marriage.
Psychology and Aging, 10, 140-149.
Pasupathi, M., Carstensen, L.L. & Tsai, J.L. (1995). The social construction of the disempowered elderly:
Ageism in interpersonal settings. (pp. 160-182). In B. Lott & D. Maluso (Eds.), The social psychology of
interpersonal discrimination. New York: Guilford Publications.
Carstensen, L.L. (1995). Review of Featherman, D.L., Lerner, R., & Perlmutter, M. (Eds.), Life-span
development and behavior. (Vol. 12), Contemporary Gerontology, 2, 11-12.
Carstensen, L.L., Fisher, J.E. & Malloy, P. (1995). Cognitive and affective characteristics of socially
withdrawn nursing home residents. Journal of Clinical Geropsychology, 1, 207-218.
Carstensen, L.L., Hanson, K., Freund, A., (1995). Selection and compensation in adulthood. In R.A. Dixo
and L. Bäckman (Eds.), Psychological compensation: Managing losses and promoting gains (pp. 106-126).
Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Publications.
Carstensen, L.L. & Freund, A. (1994). The resilience of the aging self. Developmental Review, 14, 81-92.
Carstensen, L.L. & Turk-Charles, S. (1994). The salience of emotion across the adult life course.
Psychology and Aging. 9, 259-264.
Lang, F.R. & Carstensen, L.L. (1994). Close emotional relationships in late life: Further support for
proactive aging in the social domain. Psychology and Aging, 9, 315-324.
Levenson, R.W., Carstensen, L.L. & Gottman, J.M. (1994). Marital interaction in old and middle-aged
long-term marriages: Physiology, affect and their interrelations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
67, 56-68.
Carstensen, L.L. (1993). Motivation for social contact across the life span: A theory of socioemotional
selectivity. In J.E. Jacobs (Ed.) Nebraska symposium on motivation: 1992, Developmental Perspectives on
Motivation, Vol. 40, (pp. 209-254). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Carstensen, L.L. & Pasupathi, M. (1993). Women of a certain age. In S. Matteo (Ed.), Critical issues facin
women in the '90s (pp. 66-78), Boston: Northeastern University Press.
Fisher, J. E., Carstensen, L.L., Turk, S.E., Noll, J. (1993). Geriatric patients. In A.S. Bellack & M. Hersen
(Eds.), Handbook of behavior therapy in the psychiatric setting (pp. 355-369). New York: Plenum.
Fisher, J.E., Zeiss, A. M., & Carstensen, L.L. (1993). Psychopathology in the aged. In P.B. Sutker, H.E.
Adams (2nd Ed.), Comprehensive handbook of psychopathology, (pp. 815-842). New York: Plenum Press.
Levenson, R.W., Carstensen, L.L. & Gottman, J.M. (1993). Long-term marriage: Age, gender and
satisfaction. Psychology and Aging, 8, 301-313.
Carstensen, L.L. (1992). Perspectives on research with older families: Contributions of older adults to
families and to family therapy (pp. 353-360). In P. Cowan, D. Field, D. Hansen, A. Skolnick, & E. Swanson
(Eds.), Family, self and society: Towards a new agenda for family research. Los Angeles: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
Carstensen, L.L. (1992). Social and emotional patterns in adulthood: Support for socioemotional
selectivity theory. Psychology and Aging, 7, 331-338.
Baltes, M.M. & Carstensen, L.L. (1991). Possible selves and their fertility in the process of successful
aging: A commentary on Cross and Markus. Human Development, 34, 256-260.
Carstensen, L. L. (1991). Selectivity theory: Social activity in life-span context. In K.W. Schaie (Ed.),
Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Vol. 11, (pp. 195-217). New York: Springer.
Carstensen, L.L. & Fisher, J.E. (1991). Treatment applications for psychological and behavioral problems
of the elderly in nursing homes. In P.A. Wisocki (Ed.), Handbook of clinical behavior therapy with the elderly
client (pp. 337-362). New York: Plenum.
Levenson, R.W., Carstensen, L.L., Friesen, W.V., & Ekman, P. (1991). Emotion, physiology and
expression in old old age. Psychology and Aging, 6, 28-35.
Ornstein, R. & Carstensen, L.L. (1991). Psychology: The study of human experience, 2nd. Ed., San Diego
Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich.
Fisher, J.E., & Carstensen, L.L. (1990). Generalized effects of skills training among older adults. The
Clinical Gerontologist, 9, 91-107.
Fisher, J.E. & Carstensen, L.L. (1990). Behavior management of the dementias. Clinical Psychology
Review, 10, 611-629.
Fredrickson, B. L. & Carstensen, L.L. (1990). Choosing social partners: How old age and anticipated
endings make us more selective. Psychology and Aging, 5, 335-347. (Reprinted in Essential papers on the
psychology of aging. 1998, pp. 511-538. )
Meeks, S., Carstensen, L.L., Stafford, P., Brenner, L.L., Weathers, F., Welch, R., & Oltmanns, T.F. (1990
Mental health needs of the chronically mentally ill elderly, Psychology and Aging, 5, 163-171.
Carstensen, L.L. (1989). Peril in the prediction of psychopathology with longitudinal research.
Contemporary Psychology, 34, 344-345.
Carstensen, L.L. & Neale, J.M. (Eds.). (1989). Mechanisms of psychological influence on physical health
with special attention to the elderly. New York: Plenum.
Meeks, S., Carstensen, L.L., Tamsky, B.F., Wright, T.L. & Pelligrini, D. (1989). Age Differences in
Coping: Does Less Mean Worse? International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 28, 127-140.
Carstensen, L. L. (1988). The emerging field of behavioral gerontology. Behavior Therapy, 19, 259- 281.
Carstensen, L.L. & Fisher, J.E. (1988). Perspectives from the inside: Mental health needs of the elderly in
nursing homes. Behavioral Residential Treatment, 3, 183-192.
Carstensen, L.L. & Fremouw, J. (1988). The influence of social anxiety and mental status on social
withdrawal among the elderly in nursing homes. Behavioral Residential Treatment, 3, 63-80.
Rychtarik, R.G., Carstensen, L.L., Alford, G.S., Schlundt, D.G., & Scott, W.O. (1988). Situational
assessment of alcohol-related coping skills in wives of alcoholics. Psychology of Addictive Behavior, 2, 66-73
Rosenthal, T.L. & Carstensen, L.L. (1988). Aging: Clinical needs and research opportunities. Behavior
Therapy, 19, 257-258.
Carstensen, L.L. (1987). Age-related changes in social activity among the elderly. In L.L. Carstensen &
B.A. Edelstein (Eds.), Handbook of clinical gerontology. New York: Pergamon Press.
Carstensen, L.L. (1987). Review of Pinkston, E.M. & Linsk, N. Care of the elderly: A family approach in
Social Service Review.
Carstensen, L.L. & Edelstein, B.A. (Eds.). (1987). Handbook of Clinical Gerontology. New York:
Pergamon Press.
Carstensen, L.L. (1986). Social support among the elderly: Limitations of behavioral interventions.
Behavior Therapist, 6, 111-113.
Carstensen, L.L. & Erickson, R.J. (1986). Increasing rates of social interactions among elderly nursing
home residents: Are high rates enough? Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 19, 349-355.
Goddard, P. & Carstensen, L.L. (1986). Treatment of depression in an elderly nursing home resident.
Clinical Gerontologist, 4, 13-20.
Carstensen, L.L, Rychtarik, R.G., & Prue, D.M. (1985). Treatment effectiveness for early and late-onset
elderly alcoholics. Addictive Behaviors: An International Quarterly, 10, 307- 311.
Cone, J.D. & Carstensen, L.L. (1985). Life satisfaction and social desirability: Clarifying earlier findings.
Journal of Gerontology, 40, 126-128.
Carstensen, L.L., & Cone, J.D. (1983). The influence of social desirability on the measurement of
psychological well-being. Journal of Gerontology, 38, 713-715.
Hutchison, W., Carstensen, L.L., & Silberman, D. (1983). Generalized effects of increasing the availabilit
of choice among institutionalized elderly. International Journal of Behavioral Geriatrics, 1, 21-32.
Rapp, S., Carstensen, L.L., Prue, D.M. (1983). Organizational behavior management, 1978-1982: An
annotated bibliography. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 5, 5-50.
Carstensen, L.L., Mason, S.E., & Caldwell, E.C. (1982). Children's attitudes toward the elderly: An
intergenerational technique for change. Educational Gerontology: An International Quarterly, 8, 291-301.
Carstensen, L.L. & Fremouw, W. (1981). The demonstration of a behavioral intervention for late life
paranoia. The Gerontologist, 3, 329-332.